ENGLISH ACCENTS
English is an international language and is spoken all over the world. But do all people have the same accent? Of course not.
Even in North America, there are different accents that can be heard.
Let’s look at some of the accents and the places that you may hear them.
The Southern Accent
Also known as a “Southern Drawl” or “country accent,” the Southern accent is usually slower with shortened words. Southern influences have found their way into American speech all over the country.
Southern pronunciations of words include git (get) and lemme (let me).
Where to hear a Southern accent:
TV shows set in the south like “True Blood”
American country-western music artists such as Carrie Underwood, LeAnn Rimes
and Tim McGraw
The Midwestern Accent
The Midwestern accent, sometimes known as the General American accent, is what’s commonly heard in American entertainment. It’s understood and spoken across America.
Where to hear a Midwestern or General American accent:
National news programs such as CNN
The New York City Accent
The stereotypical “New York” accent may be dying out, but you can still hear some natives use it now and then. The New York accent also has non-rhotic elements. They may also round short vowels like a.
Where to hear the New York City accent:
Gang movies set in New York City like “Gangs of New York” and “Goodfellas”
The character Joey in the TV show “Friends” (more on this show below)
The Canadian Accent
If you’re traveling through Canada, know that Canadians have an accent that differs from the U.S. The Canadian accent is very similar to the General American or the Midwestern accent. While Canadians usually use rhotic speech, they have some different characteristics.
Where to hear the Canadian accent:
Canadian news channels like CTV
These are the different English accents that exist.
